About GasPedal Staff

There are only a handful of truly culture-driven companies. (There’s a lot of talk, there’s a lot of values statements, but little actual culture.) Real culture is hard. It’s hard because it takes emotion, introspection, commitment, and endless hard work. It’s also hard because it requires a different kind of recruiting. You have to make […]

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[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.] If anyone knows how to get creative and draw attention on a tight budget or with limited resources, it’s a nonprofit. […]

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Everyone, please enjoy my annual showing of the Star Wars Holiday Special. It’s a piece of crap so bad that George Lucas said, “If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it.” More info here. It’ll make your day. (You can find the rest […]

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[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.] As entrepreneurs, marketers, and creative people, it’s natural for us to feel like we’re the experts on talking to our customers […]

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I agreed to do a quick webinar. It wasn’t hard and I’ll get some nice exposure. But the hour I spent prepping for it was an hour I didn’t spend on my business. But I used up that creative energy on a one-time promo instead of building long-term systems. There was something else I could […]

It’s rude. They will probably think you’re an asshole. You’re definitely going to lose the sale. Why? Because everyone knows that it’s common courtesy to only email after asking permission. Because nobody wants to buy from someone too stupid to use common courtesy or common sense.

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[Here’s a recent post I did for the SmartBlog on Social Media. You can follow the blog here or subscribe to the newsletter here.] Paul McCartney was right: Money can’t buy you love. It just doesn’t work — at least not anymore in an era where we’re getting better at ignoring the marketers obsessed with interrupting us. […]

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[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.] Crowdrise is an online community that makes it easier to host and support great charitable causes. And like most charitable giving […]

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[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.] Few things you can do as a marketer are as powerful as a great thank you. Get good at […]

I taught word of mouth marketing at Northwestern University and internet entrepreneurship at the Wharton School of Business. I’m a serial entrepreneur who founded and advises startups and nonprofits. And I’m a rabid purist on the topic of marketing ethics.

About This Blog

"Damn, I Wish I'd Thought of That!" is full of unusually useful ideas borrowed from the smartest marketers. Good marketing is more about brains than bucks. The best business ideas are easy to do, inexpensive, simple, and fun. Learn to simplify your business, earn word of mouth, and thrill your customers.